Interview with Louis Rustenhoven: One Companial

Companial, Ciellos and Simplanova are coming together under one brand: Companial. For Microsoft Dynamics partners, this means access to a broader portfolio of services, deeper expertise and stronger support across the entire partner journey. Combined with the AI adoption expertise of Digital Bricks, partners can now leverage an even more complete offering to help them navigate both today's Dynamics ecosystem and tomorrow's AI-driven future. Why is this happening now, and what does it mean in practice? We spoke with Louis Rustenhoven, CEO of Companial.

More value for partners

Companial, Ciellos and Simplanova have all been serving Microsoft Dynamics partners. Why bring the organizations together under one brand?

"The main reason is simple: it creates more value for our partners.

For years, Companial, Ciellos and Simplanova have been operating in the same Microsoft ecosystem. We often worked with different partners, but there was also significant overlap in the services we provided and the challenges we helped partners solve. Each organization built unique strengths and capabilities. By bringing them together under one brand, partners gain access to a much broader set of services through a single relationship."

"Partners that primarily worked with Ciellos or Simplanova can now access services that have traditionally been part of Companial, such as Microsoft licensing, membership programs, learning journeys, strategic workshops, go-to-market support and our partner community. At the same time, Companial partners gain access to expanded professional services capabilities, including functional consultants, solution architects, implementation expertise and dedicated development teams."

"In addition, partners can benefit from the AI adoption expertise developed by Digital Bricks. While Digital Bricks remains its own business and brand, its methodologies and programs help partners and their customers successfully adopt AI and transform the way they work." "The result is a much more complete proposition. Instead of working with several specialized organizations, partners now have access to one ecosystem of services spanning licensing, enablement, consultancy, implementation, development, migrations and AI adoption."

Bringing our strengths together

What did each company contribute until now?

"Each organization has developed its own strengths over the years.

Companial has built a strong position around Microsoft licensing, partner enablement, training, migrations and development services. Simplanova is particularly well known for its migration expertise and technical development capabilities. Ciellos brings a highly experienced functional consulting practice, solution architects, implementation expertise and dedicated development teams that support larger Dynamics partners and software companies."

"Ciellos is often involved very early in a project, helping partners define business requirements, shape solution architectures and translate customer needs into development roadmaps. They also have extensive experience running dedicated teams that support partners over the long term. Increasingly, those teams are also helping partners develop AI-powered solutions and agents."

"By combining these capabilities, we are creating a stronger Professional Services organization with one portfolio, one delivery model and one way of working. That allows us to deliver more value to partners while maintaining the specialist expertise that each company is known for."

Is everything already integrated?

"There is still a lot happening behind the scenes. Bringing together teams, processes and systems takes time. Our focus right now is creating a consistent experience for partners regardless of where they are located and which services they use. Partners will gradually see the benefits of that over the coming months."

Why now?

Why are you making this move now?

"The timing feels right. The Ciellos acquisition is now more than a year behind us, and we have had the opportunity to work closely together and understand one another's strengths. The same applies to Simplanova. As we worked together more frequently, it became increasingly clear that we were serving the same ecosystem with highly complementary capabilities. Bringing those strengths together allows us to serve partners better and operate more efficiently."

"At the same time, AI is transforming our industry. Whether you are working on migrations, development, implementations or partner enablement, AI is changing how work gets done. Rather than solving similar challenges in separate organizations, we can innovate faster as one company."

What about marketing?

"Operating multiple brands requires significant effort and creates complexity for partners. Which company provides which service? Which message belongs to which brand? By operating under one brand, we can be much clearer about who we are and what we offer. We can invest behind one identity, one market message and one partner promise, while still maintaining strong local relationships in the countries where we operate."

What will partners notice?

Let's say I'm a Simplanova partner. What changes for me?

"You suddenly gain access to much more than migration and development expertise. You can now leverage our Microsoft licensing capabilities, partner membership programs, learning journeys, strategic workshops, go-to-market support and community initiatives. In short, you gain access to capabilities that help grow your business, not just deliver projects."

And what about Ciellos partners?

"The same principle applies. While there are some regional differences, particularly around licensing services, Ciellos partners can now access a much broader portfolio of services, expertise and partner programs than before. The goal is that every partner gets access to the full value of Companial, regardless of which company they originally worked with."

What are some examples of those services?

"Partners can tap into our community, our learning journeys and organizational development programs, strategic workshops, licensing expertise, AI adoption programs delivered through Digital Bricks and our Companial Go-to-Market and Information Hub (knowledge resources). The common theme is helping partners become more successful and more competitive in a rapidly changing market."

Many partners already have access to some of these services elsewhere. Why choose Companial?

"What makes us unique is the combination of breadth and depth. We are entirely focused on the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem, including Business Central, Finance & Supply Chain Management, CRM, Power Platform and Copilot technologies. Across our combined organization, we now have around 600 specialists dedicated to helping Dynamics partners succeed."

"We can talk about the breadth of our services, the depth of our expertise and the scale of our organization. And of course, those things matter. But if I put myself in the shoes of a partner, that is not what matters most." "What matters is knowing that when you need help, you have someone you can call. Someone who understands your business, knows your ambitions and challenges, and is genuinely invested in your success. That is the role of our Partner Success Manager."

"As we bring together the strengths of Companial, Ciellos and Simplanova, and combine that with the AI adoption expertise of Digital Bricks, the Partner Success Manager becomes even more important. Behind that one person sits the full strength of our organization. Whether you need licensing expertise, migration support, implementation capacity, a solution architect, AI adoption guidance or strategic advice, we bring the right people to the table."

"So, while our portfolio becomes broader, from a partner's perspective it actually becomes simpler. You do not have to navigate different organizations or specialist teams. You have one trusted advisor who helps you get the most out of everything we offer. That is how we have always wanted to work with partners, and this makes that proposition even stronger."

The journey to AI

Why is AI such an important part of this integration?

"AI is changing every aspect of our industry. It affects how developers build solutions, how consultants work with customers, how implementations are delivered and ultimately how partners create value for their customers."

"Tools such as GitHub Copilot, Copilot Studio and AI agents are becoming part of everyday work. That is why we started investing early in AI across our own organization. We want our people to understand not only the technology itself, but also how it changes the way organizations work."

"Working as one company allows us to innovate faster, share best practices across teams and help partners navigate this transition more effectively."

Do you see the portfolio as complete, or is there still room for growth?

"In this industry, you are never finished. We continue to see opportunities for growth, particularly in markets such as North America. But our biggest focus today is helping partners navigate the transition to an AI-driven future." "The pace of change is extraordinary. New technologies, new capabilities and new business models are emerging constantly. No partner can realistically keep up with everything alone. That is why collaboration, knowledge sharing and access to expertise are becoming more important than ever."

"Through Companial, partners gain access to technical expertise, licensing, training, professional services and strategic support. Combined with the AI adoption expertise of Digital Bricks, that creates a very powerful combination."

Where do Dynamics partners stand today when it comes to AI?

"We see that many developers are already embracing tools such as GitHub Copilot and Copilot Studio. The technology itself is often not the biggest challenge anymore." "The bigger question is: what do you actually do with it? Which AI solutions create real value for customers? Which use cases should partners prioritize? How do you turn experimentation into a profitable business opportunity?"

"This is where we believe we can make a real difference. Through Companial, we see what is happening across a broad ecosystem of Dynamics partners. Through Digital Bricks, we have gained deep experience in AI adoption and organizational change. Combining those perspectives allows us to help partners move beyond the technology and focus on outcomes."

"Many organizations are not struggling with access to AI technology. They are struggling with adoption. How do leaders embrace AI? How do employees change their daily routines? How do successful pilot projects scale across the wider organization? Helping answer those questions is becoming just as important as implementing the technology itself." "Because we work with partners across the entire ecosystem, we see successful examples emerging in different markets and industries. Sharing those insights is one of the most valuable things we can do."

What should partners keep an eye on over the next few years?

"Microsoft is moving incredibly fast, and the technology continues to evolve rapidly. But technology is only part of the story. Ultimately, people need to adopt new ways of working."

"Historically, partners implemented ERP and CRM solutions and supported users with training. Going forward, change management and adoption will become much bigger parts of the value equation. Partners need to help customers understand not only how AI works, but how their people and processes need to evolve alongside it."

"At the same time, the economics of our industry are changing. AI enables implementations, migrations and development projects to be delivered faster and more efficiently. That is good news for customers, but it also means partners and service providers need to adapt their business models." "The winners will be those organizations that combine deep expertise, effective use of AI and a strong ability to guide customers through change. Our role is to help partners succeed in all three areas."

"Our mission remains unchanged: making life easier and better for Microsoft Dynamics partners. Bringing Companial, Ciellos and Simplanova together under one brand, while leveraging the AI adoption expertise of Digital Bricks, is an important step towards that goal."